‘Assassin’s Creed’ 2016: Why Ubisoft is Not Releasing a New Game This Year

A new "Assassin's Creed" game will not be released this year.

Ubisoft has been releasing new installments of the action-adventure game franchise each year since 2009. Last year's "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate" was a solid entry for the series, but the game developer admitted that it had a "slower than expected launch," Wired wrote.

"This year, we also are stepping back and re-examining the 'Assassin's Creed' franchise," a blog post from Ubisoft read. "As a result, we've decided that there will not be a new 'Assassin's Creed' game in 2016."

The post continued, "Since the release of 'Assassin's Creed: Unity,' we've learned a lot based on your feedback. We've also updated our development processes and recommitted to making 'Assassin's Creed' a premier open-world franchise. We're taking this year to evolve the game mechanics and to make sure we're delivering on the promise of 'Assassin's Creed' offering unique and memorable gameplay experiences that make history everyone's playground."

Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said in an emailed statement quoted by Wired that the developer is aiming to "give the brand a new dimension, while still presenting very solid targets for the fiscal year." Thus, a new "Assassin's Creed" installment will not be out in 2016-17, referring to the fiscal year ending in March 2017, not the whole calendar year of 2017.

"Assassin's Creed" is also coming to life on the big screen with a movie adaptation starring Michael Fassbender.

Directed by Justin Kurzel, the film also stars Marion Cotillard, Brendan Gleeson, Ariane Labed, and Michael K. Williams, the Hollywood Reporter listed. The flick bows in theaters on Dec. 21, 2016.

Fassbender said that the film doesn't employ plenty of CGI stunt work, and majority of the action sequences were shot in real locations and sets, the news outlet noted.

As quoted by ComingSoon.net, the movie's official synopsis reads: "Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch (Michael Fassbender) experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day."

Guillemot is hopeful that the movie adaptation will boost the game franchise's fan base, IGN reported. Ubisoft's earnings wasn't impressive thanks to "Assassin's Creed Syndicate." The developer netted $638 million in sales during its fiscal third quarter, a downgrade from the $681 million that was expected.

Ubisoft did not blame the installment's predecessor, "Unity," which was criticized by fans for its technical issues, Venture Beat reported. The company instead pointed to the competitive atmosphere as the primary reason for the franchise's recent failure.